Loose Leaf Tea FAQ

Ever since tea was discovered, many wide ranging health related benefits have been associated with the beverage. Modern research has recently started proving that many of the claims made over the past 5000 years are actually true. Here's a quick summary of the key benefits:

Health:

The benefits of green tea in particular have been explored by many scientists in recent years. There is growing, often controversial evidence that green tea antioxidants, (also referred to as catechins) may help prevent or fight against some serious illnesses such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease.

Green tea also naturally contains flouride to strengthen tooth enamel and help reduce the formation of plaque. It also thus acts as a defense against tooth decay and gum disease.

Recent research in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicates that drinking tea is better for your health — or better — than just drinking water.

Weight loss:

Green tea is also touted with the ability to help speed up the metabolism. Some say it's particularly good to drink green tea after a meal to aid digestion and help break down the food more. As a result, green tea has become for many the beverage of choice in a weight loss diet.

Many low calorie green tea diets have been developed with varying degrees of success. Our view though is that green tea is not a silver bullet for dieting and should simply be seen as an possible "aid" to losing weight. Research conducted to date on the metabolic boosting benefits of tea may appears positive but the data is not very robust due to low base sizes.

Low Caffeine

Large amounts of caffeine may be harmful for the body since an excess can cause heart palpitations, hypertension, and insomnia. Green tea contains much lower low levels of caffeine than black tea and especially coffee. White tea is even lower whereas Herbal teas contain zero caffeine.

White tea was largely unknown outside China until quite recently. Its revered history dates back to the T'ang dynasty (618-907AD) when it became the beverage of choice in the royal courts. The emperor Hui Zong (1101-1125) became so obsessed with finding the perfect white tea that he ended up losing much of his empire to the invading Mongols.

White tea is tea made from leaves of the tea plant Camellia sinensis. It is so-called because the tea buds are covered with silvery white down or fine hairs. It is the least processed and rarest of all the teas. White tea undergoes only withering and drying, with no pan-firing or rolling. The tea leaves are laid over bamboo trays and a fan is used to control the flow of air over the leaves. This drying process takes place over several days. This light oxidation process preserves natural compounds that help retain the natural health benefits.

White teas can be enjoyed throughout the day but are best consumed as a digestive after a light meal. Properly brewed white tea has a pale, slightly golden color, not unlike white wine. The scent is light and fresh, and the taste is mild and silky with a subtle, sweet aftertaste. For those who find green teas too earthy, the clean taste of white tea is the perfect way to enjoy all the health benefits. Ripe with antioxidants and low in caffeine, white tea is arguably the healthiest beverage on the market today.